 |
| Ed Sheeran |
Ed Sheeran apologized Saturday night for how he handled the removal of opening act Macklemore and said he could no longer stay silent on the war in Gaza, calling Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel “horrific” and the situation in Gaza “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.”
Stepping onto a darkened stage at Lincoln Financial Field in a plain blue T-shirt, Sheeran told the Philadelphia crowd he had made “mistakes” and disappointed fans after his stadium tour was thrown into turmoil.
“I’ve tried in my career to not be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division, about humanity, not politics,” he said. “But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”
He said his “heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, children’s lives,” and that “the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank… cannot be overlooked.”
With his voice breaking, Sheeran said his concerts remain “a place where everyone is welcome and everyone can stand beside people that have opposing views” and enjoy songs of “love, hope and unity.” He then played “Castle on the Hill” to cheers.
Ed Sheeran has apologised to fans for making "mistakes", as he opened a solo show in Philadelphia.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 20, 2026
The singer responded to the fallout over rapper Macklemore being dropped from the tour for making pro-Palestinian remarks on stage earlier in September.
Watch his statement ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fh091xZfUE
The remarks followed a week in which the Loop tour appeared close to collapse. NFL team owners, including Robert Kraft, whose company owns the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, decided Sheeran could not play their venues if Macklemore remained. The Seattle rapper had shouted “Free Palestine” at two New Jersey shows this month and performed a protest song accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, drawing condemnation from groups including StopAntisemitism and the Israeli-American Council.
Sheeran first issued a statement saying the decision to drop Macklemore was “not mine” but belonged to the venues and his promoter, adding that fans “do not expect a political forum.” Within hours, every other support act for the rest of the tour resigned, as did an Irish folk band that had backed him during his set.
That initial posture of neutrality drew sharp criticism. Commentators called it untenable and hypocritical, noting Sheeran had previously signed an open letter opposing Brexit and taken part in a fund-raiser for humanitarian relief in Ukraine.
Sheeran, 35, remains one of music’s biggest hitmakers, with ballads and pop songs streamed billions of times. On Saturday he sought to reframe the controversy as a humanitarian stand while insisting the shows themselves would stay open to people of opposing views.